Birthday Girl Page #17

JOHN:

I do. I want to very badly.

NADIA:

So you're just going to be vindictive

JOHN:

In every sense. If at all possible.

NADIA:

You can't hurt me more than I'm hurt

already.

JOHN:

Well, Nadia, It it's all the same to

you, I'd like to give it a bash.

Pause.

NADIA:

My name isn't Nadia.

John stares back at her.

EXT. HAPPY EATER CAR PARK - DAY

John drags her by the arm across the car-park towards the

Rover.

EXT. OUTSIDE POLICE STATION

John drags her out of the Rover. She wrestles her arm free

and walks up the steps on her own, with some dignity. John

follows her.

INT. POLICE STATION DUTY DESK - DAY

They sit side by side in the waiting room, not talking. Nadia

looks resigned to her fate. John is tight-jawed, unyielding.

They wait as the the Duty Sergeant deals with a woman who's

lost her hat.

NADIA:

(quietly, to John)

Where's the restroom?

JOHN:

What?

NADIA:

I'm going to be sick. Where's the...

JOHN:

What? No you're not..

NADIA:

I'm going... I am... I'm going to be

sick.

JOHN:

(overlapping)

No you're not. How... Nice one. How

dumb do you think I am ?

Nadia stands and addresses the Duty Sergeant.

NADIA:

Where's the restroom?

SERGEANT:

The what, love?

NADIA:

The toilet. Where's...

SERGEANT:

Down there on the left.

She heads off. John springs up. He seizes her arm as casually

as possible.

INT. POLICE STATION CORRIDOR - DAY

John frog marches Nadia down the corridor to the Ladies. She

wrestles her arm free again and disappears inside.

John lurks outside. He seems certain she's got one leg out

the window RIGHT NOW.

He can't bear it any longer. He looks both ways and nips

inside.

INT. LADIES - DAY

Standing in the Ladies, John hears Nadia in a cubicle,

throwing up. He hears the toilet flush.

Nadia comes out. He looks at her.

JOHN:

You're pregnant.

Nadia looks at the floor.

INT. POLICE CORRIDOR - DAY

John walks out of the toilet and stands against the wall of

the corridor. He looks both ways. After a few seconds Nadia

appears in the corridor. They stand there. John isn't looking

at her.

A policeman appears from round the corner, and walks towards

them. He stops, and addresses John.

POLICEMAN:

Can I help you?

John looks at the Policeman, then at Nadia. The seconds pass.

POLICEMAN:

Sir? Can I help you?

John is still looking at Nadia -- He closes his eyes.

JOHN:

No.

EXT. OUTSIDE POLICE STATION - DAY

John walks back to the Rover, Nadia behind. They reach the

car. Nadia looks at John over the roof of the car.

NADIA:

What are you doing?

John looks sick. He speaks very quietly.

JOHN:

Get in the car.

He gets inside. Nadia is left standing there. She gets in

too.

INT. / EXT. JOHN'S CAR - DAY

John driving with Nadia in the passenger seat. She is looking

across at him.

He is taking no notice.

NADIA:

Plenty of women have babies in prison.

John ignores her.

NADIA:

(tersely)

You don't have to do this. I can

look after myself.

JOHN:

(flatly)

Have you got your passport?

NADIA:

What?

JOHN:

Shut up. Have you got your passport?

NADIA:

Yes.

They drive along.

JOHN:

We've got to get off this motor-way.

EXT. MOTORWAY JUNCTION - DAY

From above we watch the car turn off the motorway, around a

roundabout and into a country B road.

INT. CAR - DAY

John is turning the pages in his Road Atlas. He is trying to

drive and map read at the same time. Nadia is looking out of

the window. Soon a big tear rolls down her cheek. She starts

to cry.

John glances up from his map but ignores it. But she keeps

crying. He tosses the map in the back, pulls the car to the

side of the road and switches off the engine. As Nadia cries,

John gazes impassively out of the window. This goes on for

almost a minute, until Nadia pulls herself together, when

without looking across John restarts the engine and pulls

away.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

John's car pulling off a B road, into a slip road into a

garage.

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